Wednesday December 14, new Blue Badge member Bob Bethke gave his Classification Talk, more accurately described today as a "New Member Talk". Bob covered his youth, his Rotary Exchange Student experience, his reasons for joining Rotary, and his career history. Welcome Bob!Wednesday December 14, new Blue Badge member Bob Bethke gave his Classification Talk, more accurately described today as a "New Member Talk". Bob covered his youth, his Rotary Exchange Student experience, his reasons for joining Rotary, and his career history. Welcome Bob!.jpg)
Chuck joined the Rotary Club of Fort Collins in 2001 and served as President in 2007-2008. In 2007 he was honored as “Rotarian of the Year” for District 5440 and has received many club recognitions including the 5 Areas of Service and the Spirit of Rotary Awards. He is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow and Bequest Society Member. Chuck served as the District Chair for Club Visioning from 2008-2011, the District Grants Committee Chair from 2010 – 2013 as well as a member of various club committees such as Fundraising, Foundation chair and World Community Service. He also served as President of Rocky Mountain RYLA, Chair of RYLA and YRYLA, and senior counselor at both RYLA and YRYLA. Chuck served as is an Assistant Governor for District 5440 from 2010-2013 serving the four Greeley clubs.He chaired the Club Visioning endeavor for District 5440 from 2008 - 2011, facilitates Rotary Leadership Institute sessions and joined the PETS facilitation team in 2011. He served as a PETS trainer from 2008 – 2012 and as lead trainer for PETS from 2013-2015.
Chuck served as President of the Board for SAINT INC, an alternative transportation organization for seniors in Fort Collins and Loveland, and as the President of the Board for Care Housing Inc., a non-profit organization providing affordable housing in Fort Collins and Windsor, for three years. He spent 31 years working for two Fortune 500 companies and retired this year after 16 years in the Financial Services industry.
He has been married to Lynn for 34 years. They have a son and three daughters, as well as seven grandchildren.
Chuck likes to hike, play golf and is also a nature photographer.
He has been married to Lynn for 34 years. They have a son and three daughters, as well as seven grandchildren.
Chuck likes to hike, play golf and is also a nature photographer.
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Last week, CSU professor, Dr Vickie Bajtelsmit discussed the 7 most common investor mistakes in her talk entitled “Behavioral Biases and Investment Mistakes”. She has been at CSU since 1991 and is currently director of the Master of Finance program. Her area of expertise is “Behavioral Finance” - the study of psychological and cognitive issues that influence our investment decisions.
Much of traditional economic theory assumes that investors always make rational decisions. But (breaking news) we do not - we are human. We are programmed to use mental shortcuts which commonly lead to decision errors.
Seven common errors (biases) were described-from our often counterintuitive reaction to a falling stock value to overconfidence and “herd mentality”. Corrective methods were provided.
The bottom line is we are human, not rational, but “normal”. There is no substitute for self control and research when investing. And… always-buy low and sell high.At the December 5 meeting, President Steve Laine announced that all meals will now be charged at $13 per week. Be aware however, this change only affects Satellite, SAE, LOA members who visit, and member's and drop-in guests. Potential new members are not charged at all.
Those who commit to the quarterly meal plan (approximately 104 of 150 members), will continue to be billed $210 per quarter, approximately $17 per week.
Satellite members John Trone, Lucinda and Robin visited and toured Project Cure on Monday to explore working together on future Global Grants. Satellite is already working with them on one in Nigeria and one in Burundi.
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After more than 4 years of hard work, Rajiv Mehta’s wife, Bina, has become a published author, with the release of Turmeric and Spice, her own Indian cookbook. Just in time for Christmas - see Rajiv to get a copy. 
Wednesday December 5, Committee Chair Warren Wilson presented RCFC's Cadet of the Month, Joel Topps. Joel was introduced by Lt. Col Adam Jung. Joel is a computer science major and aspires to be a pilot of an A10 or C130.
Last week RCFC member Dr. Bill Timpson shared his journey (so far) as a peacemaker; starting (and continuing) in Northern Ireland. The peacemaking connection with Rotary at the global level and at the local level were reviewed. RI currently has 6 peace centers. A newly formed Peacebuilder Club has been started at FCRC and meets after the general meeting on the first Wednesday of the month. The FCRC Peacebuilder Club met after the general meeting to continue developing local goals and projects.
Bill reported on his experiences at 2 RI Peace Conferences- the World Peace Conference in Ontario,CA in January 2016 and the Conference on Sustainable Peace Building in Vancouver,BC on February 10, 2018. Bill has published books and articles on peace building. The steps are 1) Sustainable peace education, 2) Reconciliation and 3) Conflict resolution. The importance of considering issues such as food security, safety, and economic needs in peacebuilding were emphasized. Efforts seem to be most successful when started by grass root movements and involve opponents working side by side with common goals. Often women have taken the lead as in Northern Ireland with their successful protests to reclaim (peaceful) public space leading ultimately to the ceasefire in that country. Bill's most recent efforts have been in Burundi working to integrate peace education into the school curriculum at all levels. Burundi has experienced recent civil war and is among the poorest countries in Africa.
President Steve announced the slate for our Dec. 12 election:
Pres-elect: Del Benson
Secretary: Cindy DeGroot
Board (select two): Marty Bachman, Rajiv Mehta, Larry Salmen, John Trone
Treasurer: TBA (nominations welcome)
Pres-elect: Del Benson
Secretary: Cindy DeGroot
Board (select two): Marty Bachman, Rajiv Mehta, Larry Salmen, John Trone
Treasurer: TBA (nominations welcome)
Our November Teacher of the Month was Jamie Drage, a fourth grade teacher from Bethke Elementary School in Timnath. Her principal, Ann Alfonso, introduced by Marty Bachman, spoke of Jamie’s deep commitment to her profession. Jamie attended PSD, and as a youngster played games where she was the teacher and continued to dream of becoming a teacher herself. Jamie is one of those teachers who loves to come to work every day. She is straight forward, optimistic and enthusiastic. Her students discover that learning is fun and that each and every one of them has a positive relationship with their teacher. She believes that developing these relationships is the core of teaching. In addition to these classroom accomplishments, Jamie has helped to develop curriculum and has supported other teachers trying to improve student performance. Jamie had an earlier career as an athletic trainer at CSU stemming from her major in sports and exercise science. She happily switched to elementary education thereafter. While she claimed that she was more comfortable addressing fourth graders, her talk to our Rotary Club was notable for how she held our attention as she clearly and warmly addressed the great vocational love of her life.
Committee Chair Jack Vogt presented Student of the Month, Braeden Handley with a Rotary Certificate and a gift card from Barnes and Nobel. Braeden was introduced by Galton Lackey, dean of Students at Centennial High. 
November 28, Troy McWhinney presented a summary of his economic life, especially in Larimer County, and some of his projections of the economic future of the area.
Growing up in Orange County, CA, he and his brother escaped household chores by starting a strawberry stand at a local shopping center, ultimately expanding to some 30 stands, all at other shopping centers. Since agricultural enterprises were hard, dirty work whereas shopping center ownership/management was clean and probably even more profitable, they investigated getting into real estate. At about this time, their grandmother (a descendant of John Hahn, an early Larimer county resident), who owned a relatively large farm near Loveland, CO, died. After the City of Loveland sent a delegation to Orange County to discuss the future of that farm with them, the brothers bought the farm from the family and moved to Loveland to manage the land. A mentor from Denver, predicting that the area would experience great growth, suggested that they buy as much farm land as possible at the prices prevalent in the early 1990s. They were able to use available farm loans to make those purchases, expecting ultimately to develop the land, meanwhile letting their finances grow by appreciation in land value. In the early 2000s the brothers, developing a private/public partnership with Loveland, created some $132 million in public infrastructure. Their expectation is that there will be some $220 million in future public infrastructure associated with their developments. Their developments currently provide some $700 million in sales taxes in the area.
Their prediction is that growth in the area (in both housing value/cost and salaries) will continue for the next 40 years at rates similar to the last 40 years so that their ability to contribute to and benefit from that growth will continue to grow over that period.
NO ROTARY MEETING THIS WEEK - HAPPY THANKSGIVING!What do Rotary and Thanksgiving Day have in common? Both are international! Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in Canada, the United States, Germany, Japan, some of the Caribbean islands, and Liberia. And contrary to our image of the first Thanksgiving being celebrated by the guys in funny hats and buckle shoes, days of thanksgiving and special religious services became important far earlier during the English Reformation in the reign of Henry VIII and in reaction to the large number of religious holidays on the Catholic calendar. Pilgrims and Puritans who emigrated from England in the 1620s and 1630s carried the tradition of Days of Fasting and Days of Thanksgiving with them to New England. The modern Thanksgiving holiday tradition is traced to a well-recorded 1619 event in Virginia and a sparsely documented 1621 celebration at Plymouth in present-day Massachusetts.
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November 18, Past President Jeanne Fangman inducted RCFC's newest member, Dr. Brad Abrahamson, co- sponsored by Stacy Plemmons, Dr. Jerry Smith and Dr. Rob Marschke. Brad practices Sports Medicine and is the founder of Integrative Sports Medicine in Fort Collins. He was joined for the induction by his wife Lara and his father, Roger Abrahamson. Welcome Brad!
November 14, Martin Limbird and Past President Jeanne Fangman presented Paul Harris Fellow pins and certificates to 7 members, including Jean Lamm, Ross Lane, Judy Lane, Bill Timpson, Sandra Smyser, Mike Sollenberger and Kelso Kelly (recognized by Melanie Chamberlain). Jeanne Fangman also presented a Paul Harris to her daughter, Beth Phillips. 
November 14, was our annual celebration of the Rotary Foundation. Martin Limbird presented some facts and figures about the Foundation - $13.5 million dollars invested last year and a total of over 3 billion spent on projects over the past 101 years. Eight club members were awarded their most recent Paul Harris Certificates and pins.
Robin Steele presented a video on the Rotary Foundation and we heard a brief history of this organization starting with the first donation of $26.50 in 1917. The mission of the foundation is to support improvements in health,education and to eliminate poverty. Robin (and other members) reviewed the variety of projects that FCRC has been/will be involved in during the period 2016-2019, including water projects, peace studies, economic projects, bioenergy production, disease and disability prevention and orphanage support. Finally, we learned how projects start, get reviewed and and funded. An inspirational short video about our club's involvement closed the meeting.
October 28th the Rotary BREWS fellowship hosted a very successful OctoBEERfest at Horse and Dragon Brewery to a sold-out crowd. As always, the mustard and strudel were both exceptional, the brats and sour kraut were delicious, and the umm-pah-pah was Munich quality! Thanks BREWS Fellowship and Horse and Dragon for a fun Rotary event. 
During our annual Veteran's Day remembrance, RCFC awarded Army Cadet Kalie Black our Cadet of the Month citation. Black hails from Fountain, Colorado and grew up in a military family. She is studying Health Sciences at CSU. She was hosted by former Army Doctor Bob Simmons. 
Last week our annual Veteran's Day celebration started with the presentation of colors by the CSU Air Force ROTC. Larry Kunter's inspirational comments were a tribute to veterans followed by our singing our National Anthem. 
Donna Chapel moderated a panel by asking both prepared and audience questions to a 3-member panel consisting of 2 veterans and one mother of an active duty, deployed service member. Gorden Thibideau recalled his long and varied career in the Army, it's impact on his life and it's inspiration for continued service to the community after his military retirement. James Hagerman spoke of his time in the Marines, it's personal benefits and how it inspired him to continue serving after discharge by contributing to various charitable organizations. Diane Bauer, a private therapist, was kind and brave enough to share her coping mechanisms and even her fears as a mother of a soldier currently deployed in Afghanistan. Diane cofacilitates retreats for military moms with Be Safe, Love Mom.Thanks to all who contributed to a very complete and appropriate Veteran's day marking 100 years since the close of the "War to End All Wars".
Wednesday, October 31, RCFC honored long-time member, past Club President and District Governor (in Florida), Myra Monfort for her service. Presenting her "Honorary" certificate was RCFC President Steve Laine. In her remarks, Myra noted that she was proud to be Jewish, and to present RCFC's Christmas Program, as she has done for years. Her service to RCFC, our community and her support of Rural Urban Day, the Rotary Foundation, Programs and various other activities were noted and celebrated. Thanks Myra!
On Wednesday, October 31, the Centennial Committee - Melanie Chamberlain and Bonnie Titley led a lively meeting, with long-time members sharing memories, and all playing word games for prizes.
Best Costume was Marty Bachman; second best was John Roberts' sweatshirt. Bill West had an abundance of memories, and got the hook!
RCFC's October Student of the Month, Lauren Smith of Fossil Ridge High School, was accompanied by her School Counselor, Nicol Alvarado. Smith is both a student at FRHS, and taking classes in Medical Career exploration at Front Range Community College. She is also an intern at Columbine Medical. Committee Chair Jack Vogt awarded Smith a gift certificate to Barns and Nobel.
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October 24, President Steve Laine recognized Henry Weisser (Chair) and Kathy Nicol for their work in creating and executing an excellent Teacher(s) of the Year program October 17. Thanks Henry and Kathy!
Wednesday October 24, Susan Kirkpatrick, Rotarian, former mayor of Fort Collins and now owner of Savory Spice Shop, presented a brief history of spices and look at spices today. She started by pointing out that no one shops for spices who is unhappy.
She suggested that the spice trade is the world’s second oldest profession and was a motivation behind world exploration. Few spices grow outside of 100 north and south latitude and few spices originate from the Western Hemisphere. At times and places when spices were hard to come by, spices have been used as money. Before the advent of refrigeration, spices were also commonly used to mask bad flavor.
Today, the abundance of TV shows focused on food have changed how people acquire and use spices, creating a more vibrant food culture. However, spices are sometimes sourced from places considered more challenging to do business and supply can be irregular. In addition, strict import rules apply at the point of import, so the spices that arrive at a shop in Fort Collins are safe. In the spice trade, there are both straight spices (e.g., Rosemary) and blends (e.g., Herbes de Provence), some of which may be proprietary. In terms of usage, she suggests: store away from heat; if it has no aroma, it will have no flavor since the flavor comes from essential oils that may have evaporated over a span of six months to one year. She suggests that, for older people who may be losing their sense of taste, Rosemary has a strong flavor that may be desirable.
